Folkston, Georgia

11 topographic sheets cover this place, the earliest surveyed in 1918 and the latest in 1994. It stands in the Folkston census division. It lies in ZIP code area 31537. The Survey maps it on the Folkston quadrangle. 4,464 people lived here at the 2020 count. It stands 82 feet above sea level.

Research this city

Folkston within Charlton County

On record in Folkston

Buildings and businesses the archive holds for this place. Each opens its own page, with the source record it came from.

On the National Register 4 records

Population over time

2 figures

Folkston grew from 2,502 to 4,464 between 2010 and 2020. These are the recorded population figures Wikidata holds for this place, reached through the Geographic Names Information System number this page is keyed on rather than by name, so they belong to this place and not to another of the same name. Most are census counts, but not all are: an early figure may be a founding or settlement estimate, and an estimate published within five years of a census is left out. The change column is computed, and is left blank where more than 20 years separate a figure from the one before it, because a gap that long is not a change between two counts.

Year	People	Change
2010	2,502
2020	4,464	+1,962 (+78%)

Topographic sheets covering this place

7 surveys from 11 printed sheets

Matched by testing this settlement's coordinate against the published boundary of every sheet in the United States Geological Survey's historical collection. Each opens the scanned sheet at the Survey.

1918 USGS Folkston quadrangle1:62500, 3 printings
1954 USGS Valdosta quadrangle1:250000, 2 printings
1958 USGS Valdosta quadrangle1:250000
1959 USGS Valdosta quadrangle1:250000
1966 USGS Folkston quadrangle1:24000, 2 printings
1980 USGS Okefenokee Swamp quadrangle1:100000
1994 USGS Folkston quadrangle1:24000

Fires near this place

462 since 1992

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal wildfire occurrence database lists 462 fires within 5 miles of Folkston between 1992 and 2020, burning about 1,638 acres in total. 79 started naturally. 81 were recorded as arson. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a fire counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Reported cause	Fires
Debris and open burning	210
Arson/incendiarism	81
Natural	79
Equipment and vehicle use	36
Railroad operations and maintenance	24
Missing data/not specified/undetermined	13
Recreation and ceremony	7
Misuse of fire by a minor	6
Smoking	5
Power generation/transmission/distribution	1

The most recent of them, most recent first, with the day each was reported and the service that recorded it.

Date	Cause	Size	Reported by	Name on the report
7 September 2016	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	FY2017-CHARLTON-011
6 September 1999	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
6 September 1999	Debris and open burning	1.5 acres	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
30 September 2006	Debris and open burning	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
25 September 2009	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
21 September 1997	Railroad operations and maintenance	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
20 September 1994	Equipment and vehicle use	under an acre	Georgia Forestry Commission	not named
18 September 2018	Railroad operations and maintenance	1.6 acres	Florida Forest Service	TRACY ROAD (45)

Settlements close enough to share some of these fires:

Every fire recorded in Charlton County

Mines and quarries near this place

1 within 5 miles

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The federal mineral resources record lists 1 working within 5 miles of Folkston: 1 past producer. None of them still produces. What was taken out: REE, Titanium, Zirconium, Thorium. Distance is straight-line from the map coordinates, so a quarry counted here may appear on a neighbouring settlement's page as well.

Where	Site	Commodity	Status	Recorded
	Folkston Concentrator	REE, Titanium, Zirconium, Thorium	Past Producer

Every working recorded in Charlton County

Storms near this place

60 of 62 shown

Regional context, not property-specific evidence. The National Weather Service names Folkston in 62 storm reports between 1995 and 2024: 35 thunderstorm wind, 19 hail, 3 flash flood, 2 tornado. No death or injury is recorded in these reports. Each account below is quoted exactly as the forecast office filed it, from the NOAA Storm Events Database, and each date opens the federal record of that event.

When	Event	Place named	Harm	What the report says
October 1996	Flash Flood	Folkston	$160,000	no account filed
February 1995	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$135,000	Thunderstorm winds severly damaged numerous homes and mobile homes. Barns and other buildings were also destroyed. Trees and power lines were blown onto roadways.
July 2019	Lightning	Folkston	$100,000	A lightning strike caused a structure fire to the Badcock Home Furniture storm in Folkston near 1st and Elm Streets. The structure was a total loss. A home nearby was also struck by lightning, but did not catch fire. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for inclusion of the even tin Storm Data.
December 2002	Tornado (F0)	Folkston	$50,000	Residents reported tornado on the ground. Two homes on Camp Pickney Road damaged. Right mover moving down State Road 40 into Camden County.
September 1996	Flash Flood	Folkston	$15,000	no account filed
February 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$5,000	On North 3rd St. tops of pine trees snapped off 30 feet above the ground.
June 2002	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$5,000	Large pines downed onto power lines. Along Highway 252.
February 1998	Tornado (F0)	Folkston	$5,000	Large trees were blown down. One mobile home was damaged. Power line poles were snapped.
August 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$3,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
March 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
March 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,500	Large trees were blown down.
March 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,500	Large trees were blown down.
March 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
June 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
July 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
January 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
September 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
July 2024	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,000	Power poles were knocked down E-SE of Folkston. \| Over 1000 electric customers were reported \| without power. The cost of damage was unknown, but it was estimated for inclusion of the event in Storm Data.
February 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,000	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
November 1997	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,000	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
February 1996	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$2,000	no account filed
January 1999	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$1,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$1,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down along HWY 121.
July 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$1,500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
March 2001	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$500	Large trees and power lines were blown down.
February 2000	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$500	Large trees were blown down.
June 1998	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	$500	Large trees were blown down.
June 2020	Flash Flood	Folkston	-	State Road 40 in Folkston was washed out in some places due to flash flooding.
June 2018	Heavy Rain	Folkston	-	Street flooding was reported in Folkston.
April 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	A tree was blown down onto a power line and numerous large tree limbs were blown down across the roadway near Spanish Creek Road.
April 2015	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	Several pine trees were snapped.
June 2011	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	The NWS Incident Meteorologist on site at the Honey Prairie Wildfire complex reported widespread tree damage at the East Entrance of the Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge park.
May 2011	Hail	Folkston	-	Quarter to penny size hail was reported as well as multiple limbs down at the Folkston Country Club.
June 2010	Hail	Folkston	-	Penny to marble size hail was reported a mile east of Folkston. Gusty winds of 45 to 50 mph were reported.
June 2010	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	A pine tree was blown down across Highway 40. Hail was observed, but the size unknown.
April 2009	Hail	Folkston	-	One inch hail was reported.
March 2009	Heavy Rain	Folkston	-	Law enforcement closed U.S. Highway 1 in Folkston, Georgia due to street flooding.
June 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	An incident meteorologist reported trees down about 2 miles southwest of Folkston.
July 2007	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	Large tree limbs were blown down and damaged power lines. Power was out along Georgia Highway 121 near Chester.
March 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	Large trees blown down on power lines along State Road 121 in Okefenokee National Wildlife Refuge.
July 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	Trees down on highway 40 in Folkston. One tree down across the road. Report from road dept.
May 2003	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	Numerous large tree limbs down.
February 2006	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
May 2006	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
May 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	no account filed
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	no account filed
July 2006	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	no account filed
March 2005	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
March 2005	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
March 2005	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
July 2004	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
July 2004	Thunderstorm Wind	Folkston	-	no account filed
May 2002	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
May 2001	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
June 2001	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
March 2000	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
March 2000	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
March 2000	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
June 2000	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed
January 1999	Hail	Folkston	-	no account filed

Every storm recorded in Charlton County

Nearest settlements

The eight closest, with where each one stands in the county. Distances are straight-line, computed from the Geographic Names Information System coordinates.

Place	Distance	Sheets
Oakdale	0.5 miles	11
Layton	0.7 miles	17
Pinehurst	1.3 miles	17
Camp Pinkney (historical)	1.9 miles	17
Homeland	1.9 miles	11
Centerville (historical)	2.3 miles	17
Woodstock (historical)	3.0 miles	17
Ferry Landing	3.4 miles	11

Elsewhere

Matched on this settlement's Geographic Names Information System number rather than its name, so it cannot be a different place of the same name in another state.

Wikipedia article on Folkston	An encyclopaedic summary. Its text is share-alike, so it is linked here rather than copied.
Wikidata item Q523119	The structured record the population and elevation above come from. Public domain (CC0).

Provenance

This settlement is recorded in the Geographic Names Information System as feature 314250. The sheet list is computed by point-in-boundary test against the United States Geological Survey's historical topographic inventory. Both are works of the United States government and carry no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Wildfire. Short, Karen C. 2022. Spatial wildfire occurrence data for the United States, 1992-2020 [FPA_FOD_20221014]. 6th Edition. Fort Collins, CO: Forest Service Research Data Archive. https://doi.org/10.2737/RDS-2013-0009.6 Collected with United States Government funding and usable without additional permissions or fees.

Mines and quarries. USGS Mineral Resources Data System (MRDS) https://mrdata.usgs.gov/mrds/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105.

Storms. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/stormevents/ A work of the United States government, no copyright under 17 U.S.C. 105. Narratives are quoted verbatim from the National Weather Service report and are not edited or summarised.